TAMPA, Florida (CNN) – Ensuring that news of the Republican National Committee's sartorial spending spree will remain in the headlines for at least one more news cycle, Sarah Palin on Sunday sounded off on the $150,000 wardrobe that was purchased for her in September, denouncing the report as "ridiculous" and declaring emphatically: "Those clothes, they are not my property."

A senior adviser to John McCain told CNN's Dana Bash that the comments about her wardrobe "were not the remarks we sent to her plane this morning." Palin did not discuss the wardrobe story at her rally in Kissimmee later in the day.

But in Tampa, Palin happily broached the clothing issue after being introduced by "The View" co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who accused Palin's opponents of being "fixated on her wardrobe" and "deliberately sexist."

That opened the door for Palin to weigh in on a topic that has frustrated the candidate and her advisers since the story first broke five days ago.

"This whole thing with the wardrobe, you know I have tried to just ignore it because it is so ridiculous, but I am glad now that Elisabeth brought it up, cause it gives me an opportunity without the filter of the media to get to tell you the whole clothes thing," she said.

"Those clothes, they are not my property. Just like the lighting and the staging and everything else that the RNC purchased, I'm not taking them with me. I am back to wearing my own clothes from my favorite consignment shop in Anchorage, Alaska. You'd think - not that I would even have to address the issue because, as Elisabeth is suggesting, the double standard here it's - gosh, we don't even want to waste our time."

Palin, however, forged on.

"I am glad, though, that she brought up accessories also. Let me tell you a little bit about a couple of accessories, didn't think that we would be talking about it, but my earrings - I see a Native Americans for Palin poster," she said. "These are beaded earrings from Todd's mom who is a Yupik Eskimo up in Alaska, Native American, Native Alaskan.

"And my wedding ring, it's in Todd's pocket, 'cause it hurts sometimes when I shake hands and it gets squished," she continued. "A $35 wedding ring from Hawaii that I bought myself and 'cause I always thought with my ring it's not what it's made of, it's what it represents, and 20 years later, happy to wear it. And then finally the other accessory, you bet I'm a gold - I'm a blue star mom. I'm wearing this in honor of my son who is fighting over in Iraq right now defending all of you."

After spending four minutes on the shopping escapade, Palin switched gears and trained her sights on Barack Obama, who, she said, is prematurely measuring the White House drapes.

"Barack Obama and I, we both have spent quite some time on the basketball court," she said. "But where I come from, you have to win the game before you start cutting down the nets."

Palin accused the Democrat of renting a stadium for a victory party on November 4.

That's actually not the case - Obama's rally on election night will be held outdoors in Grant Park in downtown Chicago.

"They've overlooked though the minor detail of earning your confidence and your trust and winning your votes," she said.

soundoff(129 Responses)

That woman is George Bush in drag. The more McCain tries to distance himself from Bush the more Palin sounds like him! I can't believe anyone takes her seriously.

October 26, 2008 03:19 pm at 3:19 pm |

seinfeld

Too much stupid Democrats here

October 26, 2008 03:19 pm at 3:19 pm |

glittergirl

GRASPING FOR STRAWS. If she is such a hockey mom and a pitbull with lipstick, she would have said NO, I will not wear those clothes you bought for me, my clothes are just fine thank you very much. But it is clearly evident that she did wear those clothes numerous times because what hockey mom wears a silk tailored suit... and those suits she is wearing most certainly would not come from a thrift shop up in Alaska where there are more men that women. GIVE ME A BREAK. She is a disgrace to women everywhere who have fought for equality. You don't say you are tough and can take anything and then try to use the female card when things don't seem to be going your way. You are pathetic Sarah Palin and you are not a role model except to those who are pathelogical like you.

October 26, 2008 03:19 pm at 3:19 pm |

Mike G

Oh... OK.
So the RNC wanted to just give the impression that your family was the type that would buy their little daughter a Gucci bag? Thanks for clearing that up Sarah.

If you don't have anything true to say, do us a favor and don't say anything at all!

October 26, 2008 03:19 pm at 3:19 pm |

Dana

Eizabeth WHO??????????

October 26, 2008 03:19 pm at 3:19 pm |

Bridgette ONeil

Sounds to me that the blame game has begun.

October 26, 2008 03:19 pm at 3:19 pm |

Obama is for UNITING of the PEOPLE

Palin, WHO is.......TRANSCANADA Corp?

Why is it when Palin is questioned by ANY Democrat, the voters, the media or her own party the Republican….SHE yells sexist, if they ask her a question that a NORMAL woman wouldn't mind answering!!!!!!!! The FACT is MOST of us CAN’T afford to shop for NEW cloths at Wal-Mart or Kmart and she found nothing WRONG with wearing these cloths KNOWING they were EXPENSIVE. I am a female and WE don’t get a new wardrobe WITHOUT inquiring about how much they cost and what NAME brand are they. DO she KNOW what TELLING the TRUTH is??????????????

McCain you made a BADDDDDDDD pick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

October 26, 2008 03:19 pm at 3:19 pm |

Texas Teacher

Glitter Girl, actually it is. A lot of Indians don't care for the term, however. Anyone born in this country is a Native American. This is name coined by the American Government... just as the term Indian. Well, we have accepted Indian. A whole lot us perfer First Nations or American Indian. We feel that we deserve to have the American first because we were the first here. First Nations refers to exactly what we are here, the First of the Nations in this land. We are all Americans, but Indians are the only people in this land who have to carry a card to prove how much Indian we are.... sad, but true.

Indians for Obama!

October 26, 2008 03:19 pm at 3:19 pm |

Maggie from Virginia

McCain already admitted that the Palin family needed a wardrobe to carryout the image the GOP wanted to feed the public. The pick of Palin was just a stunt. It all adds up... A beauty pagent governor with a degree in journalism. He needed a gimmick to capture the attention of the American people. Well, you got it McCain. I don't like what I see.

October 26, 2008 03:20 pm at 3:20 pm |

maynard hopkins wi

what do you expect from the Obama camp.

October 26, 2008 03:20 pm at 3:20 pm |

DEBBIE

I think that Sarahs close are very elegant. I know many people that have spent over 200,000 on clothes in one shop so I don't see what the big deal is. When I won the lottery I spent way more than that! Lets focus in on the Subjects people. Sarah Palin will get us out of this mess the democratic congress has gotten us into!
Obama has no experience. Palin lives next to Russia! She knows how to treat foriegn countries! I am going to donate 150,000 to Joe the plumber so that he can go on a shopping spree!
WHO CARES HOW MUCH MONEY WAS SPENT ON CLOTHING! At least she has good taste! GO SARAH . . . I HAVE SOME OF THOSE EARINGS TOO! I LOVE THEM!

October 26, 2008 03:20 pm at 3:20 pm |

Perusing-Through

$150,000.00 at Neiman Marcus and Saks 5th Avenue for Sarah Palin and her family IS NOT THE ISSUE!

The real issue is WHY SOME OF THAT MONEY WAS NOT USED ON GOP ADVISERS TO BRING SARAH PALIN UP TO "INTERVIEW SPEED?" If 1/10 of that money was used to help Sarah get up to speed on the political, national and international hot-button issues, maybe McCain's team would be leading in the polls.

October 26, 2008 03:20 pm at 3:20 pm |

zenter

I am so glad McCain picked Palin...he's making this election so easy for Obama. Fools.

October 26, 2008 03:20 pm at 3:20 pm |

some dude

Hey Raizen,
Obama and Biden have stated that they pay for their clothes out of their own pockets.

October 26, 2008 03:21 pm at 3:21 pm |

annie

SHe annoyed to answer questions of relevency but will talk about her clothes, after spending more on clothes than I make in five years as a goverment employee. Will the stupidity never cease out of this woman.

Wonder how much Jackie Kennedy spent on her clothes......Oh, I forgot; that doesn't matter. She was a Democrat!!!!!!

October 26, 2008 03:21 pm at 3:21 pm |

Caroline from S Carolina

Are McCain and Palin delusional? I can understand McCain having some mental lapses at his age, but does Palin really think that if she keeps repeating the same lies they will come true? Competitive on key states? Annoyed at Katie Couric for not asking her questions about the economy and national security? Did any of the people there not watch the interviews? Do they do the same thing as her and watched it with the volume off? Is this a lost Twilight Zone episode?

October 26, 2008 03:21 pm at 3:21 pm |

Rich

Yawn! Why did you allow it to happen. You could have declined that $150k wardrobe as accessive, in the same way you didn't have to bilk Alaska per-diem to live at home, or state funds to take your kids on trips. Jon Stewart was right. These people are GRIFTERS

October 26, 2008 03:21 pm at 3:21 pm |

Vendo Thefastlane

Even if the clothes are rented, that's $150,000 being used when candidates usually wear their personal wardrobe at no cost.

October 26, 2008 03:21 pm at 3:21 pm |

j

It's not ridiculous – couldn't this money be better spent on the campaign – but I do wonder why the same attention hasn't been paid to what the other candidates are spending on their wardrobe. It sounds like not all the money wasn't spent on her but also on her family – was that necessary? The McCain campaign has limited funds so it's valid because it shows where the campaign priorities are. The bottom line – Are there other ways this money might have been better spent to help the campaign.

October 26, 2008 03:21 pm at 3:21 pm |

therealmarie

It is a shame the coverage of these two idiots are recieving when people are struggling to provide for their families in these economic conditions. $150,000.00 + for hair, clothes and makeup is just plain over the top. To try and justify the reasoning, insults thinking people's intelligence. But the media plays along with this stupidity therefore, the beat of distraction plays on.